Friends Reunited… Genes Reunited… dating…£120m… £170m?
Depending on which story you believe ITV is lined up to buy Friends Reunited for £170m or £120m, which makes many people jealous: ‘such a simple idea, why didn’t I think of that?’
In either case, it’s a lot of money for a website, albeit a site with twelve million users. Faced with competition from News International, BT, Trinity Mirror and Daily Mail & General Trust, I suspect ITV’s overpaid. Friends Reunited has been a phenomenal success as it occupies a space that may well be a natural monopoly; it only works if everyone joins the same club. And boy does it work – I know somebody who married thanks to Friends Reunited – it grabbed the public’s imagination and growth was phenomenal. But talk to people now and it soon becomes clear that everyone who wants to be in is in. Friends Reunited has matured incredibly quickly.
There have been spin-offs. Friends Reunited Dating, was an obvious way to go. But computer dating is a well established, crowded market. Genes Reunited is a bit more interesting, but again the market’s pretty crowded and they haven’t established ownership of that market in the way they own reuniting school friends. In any case it’s hard to see how ITV will grow the business. With so much interest from major old media players, there’s little doubt now is a good time to sell… buyer beware.
Update: Friends Reunited won’t save ITV
Contact Stephen Newton
Comments (One comment)
ABSOLUTELY APPAALLING THE WAY SOME PEOPLE ARE TREATED ON THIS SITE, THE SUPPORT TEAM IS THE WORST I HAVE EVER KNOWN AND I AM SURE THAT THERE IS ONLY 1 PERSON WORKING FOR THEM AND HER NAME IS ESTELLE.YOU CANNOT CONTACT THEM EXCEPT FOR EMAIL AND IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM THERE ANSWER IS ALWAYS WE WILL NOT DISCUSS THIS MATTER ANY FURTHER I HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THEM BUT WHERE DO I GO OTHER THAN THE WOMEN I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, WHO IS ESTELLE?
ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING….
ME / November 28th, 2007, 10:50 am / #
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